Wilma is quite a Lady

[nauifins73]

I just heard that Hurricane Wilma is a catagory 5. Increased over night from a 1 or 2 to now a 5 and has the lowest recorded pressure of any Atlantic hurricane. At least she is a compact storm with an eye of only 2 miles and winds from the eye only going out 15 miles. I hope she by passes the Cayman's and Coz (I have friends in Coz this week) and the FL Keys but.........sounds like she has a mind of her own.

[Atlaua]

I just heard that Hurricane Wilma is a catagory 5. Increased over night from a 1 or 2 to now a 5 and has the lowest recorded pressure of any Atlantic hurricane. At least she is a compact storm with an eye of only 2 miles and winds from the eye only going out 15 miles. I hope she by passes the Cayman's and Coz (I have friends in Coz this week) and the FL Keys but.........sounds like she has a mind of her own.

If she stays on the projected path both Cozumel and the keys should be spared a direct hit but the Fort Meyers area will get hit again. Hopefully she will go right through the middle of the Yucatan Channel which will give her some time to loose some steam before she makes landfall.

James

[Atlaua]

Well, latest projections show it heading for a direct hit on Cozumel and then between PDC and Cancun on the mainland :(.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT24/refresh/AL2405W5+gif/084935W_sm.gif

[juls64]

We fielded quite a few calls and inquiries at the shop yesterday. We have a group going to Florida next Thursday and then a big group going to Cozumel Nov. 5th. Everyone is all abuzz.

Want my opinion.....thats no lady!

Juls

[Atlaua]

We fielded quite a few calls and inquiries at the shop yesterday. We have a group going to Florida next Thursday and then a big group going to Cozumel Nov. 5th. Everyone is all abuzz.

Want my opinion.....thats no lady!

Juls

There is some real concern with that Coz trip. Cozumel bounces back quickly after a storm but I'm not so optimistic about how the already battered reefs are going to do. If they get another sand dousing it might be years before they recover :mad: .

James

[decodiva]

Yeah-- the reefs were covered with sand when we were down there they looked awful--- I hate to hear it

[nauifins73]

I have some friends that are "riding" Wilma out on Cozumel she sent us an email that they were staying. I have a 2nd set of friends I don't know where/what they are doing.

When I hear from both I will let you know what they said.

[Atlaua]

As of about 5 minutes ago:


THERE IS VERY LITTLE LEFT OF THE INNER EYEWALL...AND REPORTS FROM A
NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT WILMA IS BEGINNING TO
RESTRENGTHEN. PEAK FLIGHT LEVEL WINDS WERE 145 KT...AND THE SFMR
INSTRUMENT ONBOARD MEASURED A SURFACE WIND OF 125 KT IN THE NORTH
EYEWALL. BASED ON THESE OBSERVATIONS...THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS
SET AT 130 KT. THE UPPER-LEVEL OUTFLOW PATTERN REMAINS STRONG AND
WILMA WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REGAIN CATEGORY FIVE STATUS
BEFORE IT REACHES THE YUCATAN...AND THE IMPACTS THERE COULD BE
CATASTROPHIC. WITH THE LIKELIHOOD OF A MORE EXTENDED INTERACTION
WITH THE YUCATAN INCREASING...SIGNIFICANT WEAKENING IS POSSIBLE
BEFORE WILMA TURNS TOWARD FLORIDA. IN ADDITION...THE LONGER WILMA
LINGERS BEFORE TURNING NORTHEASTWARD...THE MORE HOSTILE THE
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT WILL BECOME FOR STRENGTHENING OVER THE GULF
OF MEXICO.

James

[Atlaua]

And the latest update:


WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH... 9 KM/HR...AND A
SLOW NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER
OF WILMA WILL BE VERY NEAR COZUMEL AND THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF
THE YUCATAN PENINSULA BY MIDDAY TOMORROW. HOWEVER...WILMA HAS A
LARGE CIRCULATION AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS WILL BE FELT WELL BEFORE
THE ARRIVAL OF THE CENTER.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH...240 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES THAT WILMA IS GRADUALLY
BECOMING BETTER ORGANIZED...AND THE HURRICANE COULD REGAIN CATEGORY
FIVE STRENGTH AS IT APPROACHES THE YUCATAN TONIGHT OR FRIDAY.

[Atlaua]

As of about 4:30 this morning Christi (a great ex-pat dive op own in Coz) said that it was already worse than Emily and the eye was still a ways away:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=116171

[decodiva]

I hate to hear that-- I wish those mean hurricanes would leave us I mean our dive fantasies alone

[nauifins73]

Thanks for the update James. Great map and info are you getting it from the NOAA site? Sitting here in KS it is impossible to imagine what they are going through. No info from the 2 different sets of friends there yet.

[Atlaua]

Thanks for the update James. Great map and info are you getting it from the NOAA site? Sitting here in KS it is impossible to imagine what they are going through. No info from the 2 different sets of friends there yet.

I use http://www.crownweather.com (http://www.crownweather.com/) which gets it's info from various sources, including NOAA.

The little white outline on the NW edge of the eye is Cozumel. Not a pretty picture:

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/FLOAT/VIS/20.jpg

[Atlaua]

Well, if you look at my previously posted sat image....it's been updated and all I can say is ouch!

If Wilma had stayed on course, it would have been rough for Coz , but she didn't. She turned north. Now the island is getting the whole wraparound and the SE quadrant of the eyewall is blowing directly into the east (protected) coast of Coz.

I haven't had any news from Christi, who I consider to be a friend, among other locals, since this morning...

Everyone there is in my thoughts and prayers...

[nauifins73]

They are in our thoughts also.

I haven't heard anything from my friends from the PNW - it was the 1st time to dive in warm water/the Caribbean for several of them. Getting a little concerned about them.

[Atlaua]

it was the 1st time to dive in warm water/the Caribbean for several of them


I hate to hijack such a big subject, but DecoDiva, wasn't the post Emily Coz your first warm water dive as well? Trust me, it is normally better than that...

[MgicTwnger]

Has anybody heard anything yet for someone actually down there?:eek:

[Atlaua]

Not in a while. I did hear on TWC this morning that over 1000 homes were destroyed in PDC...

[Atlaua]

The news stations are just starting to pick up some video of the damage. Nothing on Coz yet but Cancun looks like a war zone.

[MgicTwnger]

Here's some info from this morning:

http://travelnotes.cc/tchatters/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=4eb78fb0d126cedeff67d7caf2cc0e05

[Atlaua]

Here's another:

http://www.cancunmap.com/hurricane.html

[nauifins73]

Ken - Thanks for the link. I feel a little better.

[MgicTwnger]

Ken - Thanks for the link. I feel a little better.
Becky - the sense I'm getting from several sources is that the people are OK but the island is a real mess.

[Atlaua]

This is by way of her mother in TX and another third party and SB:

Christi is okay and so are the people with her. She called about 10:30 am. She found a nice lady that had a phone that worked. She asked me to send you a note so you can post it that they are fine. They were literally "pounded for 60 hours" according to Christi, the only relief was 30-45 minutes while the eye passed over them. Wilma did tremendous damage to the island. Christi's house got some water, she was lucky because it is a foot to knee deep everywhere else.
She doesn't have any word on her boat yet, but 90% of the boats are underwater. She said they will need, food, water, batteries, etc whenever we can get things sent to them. She said she will come home soon as she can, but it could be several days I am sure or more before they will have a way to get off the island. I'll let you know more when I hear from her again. Thanks for all your kind thoughts and prayers that helped them make it through this.

[nauifins73]

Truely unbelieveable what Mother Ocean can do.

[Atlaua]

Seems most of the official news stories have been on the mainland. I think the main reason for this is that a) more people party in Cancun than dive in Cozumel and b) they just can't get there. Anyway I found this article that actually discusses Coz:

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/051024/3/29f01.html

[Atlaua]

Let me know if I'm driving everybody nuts posting all this stuff. I'm just passing along things as I find them since many of us are Coz fanatics:

http://www.aldora.com/wilma/wilma_updates.htm

I find the quote "Chankanaab Park has disappeared." to be particularly ominous.

[Captain Caveman]

Im hopeing every thing will be back to normal after the holidays.

its still 2 1/2 months before we go to playa.

[MgicTwnger]

I'm booked at the Casa del Mar (Coz) the second week of December. According to Aldora the boat I'm supposed to be diving on, Living Underwater, is sunken with a Dive Paradise boat upside-down on top of it. I'm going to contact the hotel and dive op and will still go if at all possible. Cancelling would almost feel like I was letting people down.:0498:

[Atlaua]

According to Aldora the boat I'm supposed to be diving on, Living Underwater, is sunken with a Dive Paradise boat upside-down on top of it.

Hmm, if you pay extra for a "wreck dive" and they start heading towards Caletta Harbor, you might want to question that...

[DeepDiverBob]

I find the quote "Chankanaab Park has disappeared." to be particularly ominous.

That was one of my favorite dives down there...what a shame.

[Atlaua]

That was one of my favorite dives down there...what a shame.

I believe they are speaking of the the park, not the reef. Chankanaab is an "eco" park on the island. Had a botanical garden, "fake ruins", a beach, etc. It's also where you dive with dolphins. I hope the dolphins fared ok.

It's pretty large so if it's gone...shudder to think.

[DeepDiverBob]

Are the dolphins trapped in cages there, or is it a natural dive with them?

[nauifins73]

I can't imagine what the damage is like - inconceivable that something like the Park, the hotels and the Piers are gone. I had a chance to dive with the dolphins. So glad I did.

And please continue to post all the info you come across. We sure aren't going to get any info on any of the News stations.

[nauifins73]

Are the dolphins trapped in cages there, or is it a natural dive with them?

They were in very large enclosed areas - much larger than any pool I have ever seen and quite deep (I have no sense of length or depth).

We viewed a video about the dolphins, then got a briefing, and then went to the bottom of the "pool" (natural sea water) and the Trainers sent the dolphin around to each of us several times.

[DeepDiverBob]

Sounds like the one that offered in Honduras, too. I'm glad I didnt do it. If I want to see trained dolphins, I'll go to SeaWorld. When we saw them in Roatan naturally, that was much more exciting.

[Atlaua]

More info:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N24154296.htm
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/12991213.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/COZ03D.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/COZ105D.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/COZ01.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/COZ04D.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/COZ14D.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/COZ16D.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/COZ109D.htm (I think this is the Denny's like restraunt right across from the passenger ferry pier)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/COZ213D.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/COZ107D.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/COZ17D.htm


Sounds like Hotel Baracuda is gone as is the Naval base.

Edit:

More pictures:

http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/photogalleries.php?s=8185

Ouch!

[nauifins73]

Thanks for the link to the photos. The KC group was staying at the Hotel Barracuda. I am not sure if they were still there when the storm hit or not, but my guess is that is where they were going to ride it out at.

[Atlaua]

Thanks for the link to the photos. The KC group was staying at the Hotel Barracuda. I am not sure if they were still there when the storm hit or not, but my guess is that is where they were going to ride it out at.

I assume you read the report. Sounds like nobody got hurt there, just had a rough time of it...

[nauifins73]

I did and that is good to hear.

I never stayed there, I have stayed at Casa Mexicana.

I am going to email a friend that was on that trip but left early and see if she has heard anything.

[MgicTwnger]

I've tried emailing my hotel (Casa del Mar) and dive op (Living Underwater), no responses yet. I'm not holding my breath, no pun intended.

[nitroxbabe]

Good luck Ken. :(

What a bummer.

Hotel Barracuda is GONE? Yikes. I stayed there before - it was fun in an el-cheapo kind of way.

We had some great stories from there anyhow... wonder what happened to the goofball who "ran" the restaurant there???

[nauifins73]

Both sets of friends are home and all are well. One group was staying at the Scuba Club Coz (sounds like the Hotel took the storm well) the other group stayed at the Barracuda.

[DeepDiverBob]

Both sets of friends are home and all are well. One group was staying at the Scuba Club Coz (sounds like the Hotel took the storm well) the other group stayed at the Barracuda.

That is great news.

Its kind of weird, when I was at SCC a few weeks ago, I remember looking around at the building, and saying to myself, this builing is built pretty strong. I think I could ride out a hurricane here. Looks like my assessment of the building was right.

[Atlaua]

Both sets of friends are home and all are well. One group was staying at the Scuba Club Coz (sounds like the Hotel took the storm well) the other group stayed at the Barracuda.

Wonderfull news Becky!

You need to invite them over to share their experiences...

[DeepDiverBob]

Are they cute? I'll invite them over, too.

And order pizza

[MgicTwnger]

And order pizza
Yeah, yeah. Heard that before.

[nauifins73]

I will email Pam and have her tell us all about it. Cute? That will have to be in the eye of the beholder. :D

[MgicTwnger]

Much as I hate to do it, we're cancelling our December trip to Coz and going to the Keys instead. We have not been able to contact either our hotel or dive op. From what I've been able to discover, the op's (Living Underwater) boat sank with another, much larger boat flipped over on top of it. No word anwhere about the hotel (Casa del Mar). What convinced me was my wife saying: "You don't care what it's like, you'll be diving all the time. But I'll be sitting in a pile of rubble on what's left of a beach." Hard to argue with that.:(

[nauifins73]

Where in the Keys are you staying? I have yet to go there - I am looking for suggestions to Hotels and dive ops.

[MgicTwnger]

I havn't dove in the Keys since the mid 70's so I almost feel like it's my first time. My wife found this place in Tavenier which is between Largo and Islamorada:
http://www.islandbayresort.com/

We're waiting to hear back from them to see if they suffered a lot from Wilma. If they're OK, we're going to book it. They have links to three or four local dive ops. Speigal Grove, here I come.

[Atlaua]

Finaly some good comes out of Wimla. The GA Tech (my team) - Miami game was delayed until tonight because of Wilma. Tech just beat the number 3 team in the nation and the 4 point difference doesn't really show how well we outplayed them!

[DeepDiverBob]

Finaly some good comes out of Wimla. The GA Tech (my team) - Miami game was delayed until tonight because of Wilma. Tech just beat the number 3 team in the nation and the 4 point difference doesn't really show how well we outplayed them!

Even a blind hog finds an acorn once in a while.

[Atlaua]

Just a status update:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06050/657189.stm

[scububa]

Just back from Coz. Brief, but pretty fair assessment
Just a status update:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06050/657189.stm